– Walking Tour with Jaime Koebel
– Opening by a local Elder
– Robert Lovelace will be speaking
– Movie Screening of Rhymes For Young Ghouls with Asinabka Film Festival
* Note Director Jeff Barnaby will be in attendance for a Q & A

Decolonizing Together is about listening to indigenous people, taking direction from them, sticking around in decolonizing movement, and discussing together what it means to be responsible allies to indigenous people and communities struggling for justice and decolonization.

We will start by learning from Jaime Koebel, a Metis artist and educator, about the often hidden indigenous history, art and culture in the city of Ottawa.

After we arrive at Victoria Island there will be an opening by a local Elder.

To open the solidarity assembly we will hear about the Algonquin history of the Ottawa River valley from Ardoch Algonquin elder and Queen’s University Professor, Robert Lovelace. This will lead us into a collective discussion about what meaningful Indigenous Solidarity and Decolonization movement is, and how we can do it.

“Indigenous Walks is an active, educational and fun way to learn about Indigenous Peoples’ experiences in Ottawa. This guided walk and talk provides a layer of knowledge of the Nation’s Capital through art, culture and history.”

We are honoured that Robert Lovelace will be with us to speak about the Algonquin history of the Ottawa valley. The entire Ottawa river watershed is the traditional territory of the Algonquin people. His words will begin a large group discussion on the nature of Indigenous Solidarity and Decolonization.

This small assembly is part of the lead up to the Peoples’ Social Forum happening from Aug. 21 – 24, and our plans to have an Indigenous Solidarity Movement Assembly during the forum. It will involve a collective discussion about questions that are important to indigenous solidarity movement: What is Indigenous Solidarity and how do we do it effectively? As settlers, what are our differing roles and responsibilities in decolonization movement?

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)
Director: Jeff Barnaby
Runtime: 88 min
Rating: 14A
Guided by the spirits of her departed mother and brother, an Aboriginal teenager plots revenge against a sadistic Indian Agent in this fiercely irreverent debut feature from Canadian director Jeff Barnaby.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feWS9simNFI&feature=kp

*Note Director Jeff Barnaby will be in attendance for a Q & A

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Accessibility Notes:

– These events are wheelchair accessible: Victoria Island is listed as BASIC ACCESSIBILITY. The main area is grass covered, and the site has an accessibility ramp. There is an accessible toilet. If you require assistance, our volunteers can help you.
– Childcare will be available
– Contact us if you require bus tickets
– The movie has closed captioning/subtitles in English
– We are trying to secure ASL interpretation, updates about ASL to come
– Do not wear colognes, perfumes or other scented products as some people have severe allergies

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This event was co-organized by the Asinabka Film Festival and the Indigenous Peoples’ Solidarity Movement – Ottawa (IPSMO) and our partners: KAIROS, MiningWatch, Justice For Deepan, Independent Jewish Voices, No One Is Illegal – Ottawa, and the Peoples’ Social Forum.

The full schedule for this week long film festival will be available soon.

Currently in our 3rd year of programming, the mandate of the Asinabka Festival is to present an annual Indigenous film and media arts festival in the Nations Capital that allows independent artists – national, international, Indigenous, non-Indigenous – to share, present, and disseminate their work.

The Solidarity Assembly and Asinabka Movie screening are happening on Victoria Island, in sight of the Chaudière falls. The Chaudière falls are a deeply important cultural site for the Algonquin people. They were negatively impacted by the Hydro Ring Dam that was built in 1908. The current plans of Windmill Development Group to “develop” and gentrify the Domtar building currently on the Island is a step in the wrong direction. The Chaudière falls, like the whole Ottawa river watershed, are stolen Algonquin territory. Both the natural beauty and the cultural significance are already marred by the Ring Dam and this will only be worsened by increased “development” on the Island.

Free The Chaudière Falls:

Before they were harnessed for industry, the Chaudière Falls were second only to Niagara, and many people considered them more interesting in their variety and setting. The main feature was the Big Kettle, where the waterfall came into almost a full circle. It’s a greater arc than Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls. Over millennia, the flow had worn the stone at the base into a great bowl. The water would swirl around and bubble up, and there would always be a mist. On a bright summer day, there would be at least one rainbow in it. Further towards the Quebec side was the Lost Chaudière, where the area was completely surrounded by stone. Much to the amazement of visitors, the water would flow in but wouldn’t come out again: It was travelling through an underground channel, reappearing further down the river.